Ankle Fusion

[Anonymous]

I know this is a long shot, but does anyone out there have experience with having their ankle fused? My MIL is looking at having this surgery. Looks to me like it is typically done when people have a severe trauma to their ankle, but the MD is recommending it for osteoarthritis. If you have had the surgery, or know someone who has -- what is your post-operative mobility -- 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year later? Is balance an issue? What is it like going up and down inclined surfaces?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am a PT and I have treated people with ankle fusions, I have to tell you I have not seen very good results. Certainly, there are many factors that come into play, including the skill and experience of the surgeon, and how "bad" the joint is. I would tell you MIL to investigate a bit into how many the surgeon has done, how long he's been doing it etc. In my opinion, this is a last resort sort of thing. The joint tends to be very limited in mobility, and her gait will definitely be affected. THere are surgeons out there doing ankle replacements , although they aren't super common. I don't know if he does replacements or not, but Paul Cooper at Georgetown is an ankle specialist with a very good reputation. At the very least, I would tell her to get 1 or 2 other opinions first. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you. This is the type of input I'm looking for. Unfortunately MIL is in another state.

[Anonymous]

Agree, my dh had it done with mixed results. Definitely affects gait.